The Writer’s Cottage

If you’re looking for a writer’s shed like Roald Dahl’s Gypsy House or even Ernest Hemingway’s garret across the catwalk from his bedroom in Key West, you might want to take a few moments to research what’s available in the Chattanooga area.

The guys at Wind River Tiny Homes in Chattanooga have it all together. After working construction for a few years Caleb Knowles, Travis Pike and Jeremy Weaver decided to build in a different way.

“We were working on these 3,500 square-foot homes, two of us were engaged to be married,” says Jeremy. “We thought, who really needs this much space?” So they built their own tiny homes, and they began building tiny homes for other people. Currently they are constructing homes on trailers that may be moved once the family is more settled. Soon they will be getting into permanent foundations.

The company, named after the Wind River Range in Colorado, incorporated in 2014 and it is getting attention on multiple platforms—print, social media and video.

At the Wind River location in Apison Tennessee, this trailer has been built on a goose-neck frame and will be delivered to the new owner.

The trio met in Africa during a study abroad program, as part of their coursework at Southern Adventist University. Knowles says many builders can build tiny houses, “but we do it better.” With quality interior finishes and super efficient storage designs, the principals of this company are learning through living.According to their web site the young builders have this to say, When we’re asked why anyone would want to live in a house that small, we answer simply: freedom. We all want to live in a Chattanooga that is vibrant, compassionate, rich in nature and opportunity. And most importantly, we want the freedom (financial and otherwise) to enjoy that Chattanooga.

On a national scale, the demand for private space at low cost continues to rise, and more specifically, the trend of creating writing studios is strong right now.

Writer Barbara Techel was on the leading edge when she had her cottage built in 2009. With the help of today.com Techel has branded her writing cottage a “She Shed” and claims it has done everything from improve her writing to improving her marriage—her husband actually built it for her. She believes everyone needs to carve out a space of their own.